Silver Linings
by afterfourteenyears
Summary: [AU] Gintoki, Toshi, Tatsuma, Kondou, and Zura lived normal lives until they unexpectedly meet four women who create a series of extraordinary twists that could change their lives forever.
1. The Brown-Haired Lady

**Chapter 1: The Brown-Haired Lady**

 _Author's note: I do not own anything from Gintama. Please review! This story is unbetaed. You may check out my tumblr (changed the name please take note) / wordpress / livejournal / AO3 for copies of the chapters. Trying to get into the groove of writing so that I can finish the sequel to Mitsuketa - final editing of chapter 1 ongoing. Please pray that I can!_

Otae Shimura flipped her glossy brown hair over her shoulder as she admired its glow in the bathroom mirror. She swung her head from side to side, frowning when she noticed a few strands out of place…

"Fifty more brush strokes," she grunted and tightened her grip on the brush as she started to comb her hair once more. Otae felt satisfied as the strands fell back into place with her brushing. "Perfect," she smiled at her hair, marveling at its softness and inwardly threatening the strands lest they attempt to move out of order.

She then took out her pink lipstick and applied a few layers to her lips. Otae rarely wore make-up and she liked how she looked naturally. If anything, it was her hair that she spent most of her money – and time – on. Unlike Sacchan –

"Otae! It's my turn to use the bathroom!" Her lilac-haired, bespectacled friend and roommate yelled from the other side of the door as she pounded on it. "We're running late! What the hell are you doing anyway?"

She hurriedly adjusted her short-sleeved dress and brushed her hair a few more times. "That'll do," she whispered to herself then shouted back, "I have a stomach ache."

Her other friend and roommate, Mutsu – a light-brown haired beauty, huffed disbelievingly. "She's probably fretting over that hair of hers."

"I agree. It's what she always does," another of her friends and yes, roommate, Kyuubei Yagyuu muttered seriously. Her own black hair was confined in a neat ponytail.

"For god's sake, let me use the bathroom, Otae!" Sacchan screamed in frustration, ready to kick down the door. "I need to put my make-up!" Unlike her, Sacchan wore make-up every day and had no plans to go outside looking natural.

Otae sighed and opened the door but stepped out gracefully and asked her friends, "How do I look girls?"

Sacchan nudged her out of the way and scurried into the bathroom. "Great," she offered.

"You look lovely, Otae," Kyuubei added shyly, her cheeks pinkish as she refused to make eye contact.

Within seconds, Sacchan exited the bathroom and dragged Otae to the door. "Yeah, yeah, let's go! I need to buy coffee and some sweetener-"

"But I thought we were going to the park?" Otae did not fix herself up just to go to the store.

"Yes we need coffee!" Mutsu agreed. "Also get some of those cheesy bread sticks…"

"The park…" Otae grit her teeth.

"After," Sacchan promised and they finally left.

"Buy some dinner!" Mutsu yelled before the door shut behind the two girls.

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Mutsu sent Sacchan a flood of messages, each with a single word of whatever she needed or wanted from the supermarket.

Napkins.

Toothpaste.

Conditioner.

And a long list of baking stuff.

"Munemitsu you are annoying as hell," Sacchan growled and texted the same words to their friend.

"Thanks Sarutobi," was the curt reply.

Sacchan and Otae grabbed the items hurriedly, with Sacchan being clumsy and in too much of a rush. She dropped several items thrice.

"What is wrong? It's still early," Otae inquired, notably worried at her friend's expression.

"I…" Sacchan bit her lip as they sailed through the lanes. "Bansai wants to meet up soon. Sorry." Bansai Kawakami is Sacchan's long-term, slightly-demanding on and off boyfriend.

"Ugh," Otae rolled her eyes. "Booty call?"

"No!" Sacchan believed he loved her very much. He always wanted to see her. She had no doubts with their relationship. "He said he misses me."

"Are you sure?" Otae asked but received no reply. "But we still have to go to the park, okay?"

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"Let's grab the sweetener and leave," Hijikata Toshiro, or Toushi as his friends called him, growled as they sped through the store.

"Wait, wait, wait… lemme get some of the strawberry milk. I know those drinks are here somewhere…" His friend, Gintoki Sakata, was a strawberry and sweets addict. He just had to keep drinking that berry flavored dairy. "Hey, we should go get alcohol too!"

Not to mention the guy loved to get drunk.

"Hey! I thought you were weaning off alcohol?" Toushi was annoyed with people who didn't stick to rules or had bad habits. Though he was a chronic smoker himself.

"C'mon, it's just OCCASIONAL-"

"Occasional, my ass! You-" He stopped as he glimpsed the mayonnaise and grabbed a few tubes.

"You were saying?" Gintoki had a smirk that Toushi would have loved to punch.

But there were raffle entries in the bottle label to win more mayonnaise. Toushi mentally started to compute how much he could buy…

"Okay I'm leaving you at your haven Toushi while I get the sweeteners. Be right back!"

And Gintoki fled, leaving him staring at the stacks of mayonnaise waiting to be bought.

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Sacchan gasped, "Only one pack left! How could that be?" And her eager hands almost grabbed the sugar when a pair of faster, masculine hands took it from the virtually empty shelf. "Excuse me Mr. Perm-head… I was getting that."

The man who had taken the sugar was a tall, silver and curly-haired, fishy red-eyed character with a sneer on his face. "Miss Glasses, you don't have your name on it. I got it first so it's mine."

That annoyed her some more. "You immature creature, I've been planning to buy that!"

"Well you were too slow, little mouse, so deal with it." He then turned and started walking away.

Sacchan ran up to him, "How dare you leave with my sugar!"

"It ain't yours!"

Otae, who was stunned and silent for the first few exchanges suddenly regained her composure. "Um, Sacchan…"

"Oi Miss Pretty, tell your wild friend to calm down and lay off my sugar!" He certainly wasn't polite.

"What a gentleman!" Sacchan was suddenly serious. "Don't you dare speak to Otae that way. Don't you dare speak to any woman in that manner. Men like you are a disgrace. You-"

"Hey, I'm the one you attacked. I could have you arrested-" He pocketed the sugar and that intensified Sacchan's anger.

"Give it back!" She made a go for his pocket.

"For a girl, you sure are a pervert!" He tore her hands off his pants. "We could take this elsewhere, but you're really not my type-"

At that point, Sacchan lunged at him and had him on the floor, flat on his back. She attempted to dig the sugar out of his pocket while his hands shielded it from her reach.

"Sacchan!" Otae was screaming frantically, worried that they would draw the crowd's attention. But when she looked around, they apparently already had.

Gintoki had flipped her over so he was now on top, looking menacing. "Sacchan, eh? Try as you may, I won't give this sugar up." Then he paused. "Well, maybe if you were pretty or if you asked nicely but since you're such a bitch… Forget it."

Sacchan was glaring at him and breathing heavily but she did not utter a word. Otae noticed that her lower lip was trembling. Uh-oh. "Get off her!" She screamed and was on her way to pull the silver-haired man off when someone else beat her to it.

"What the hell, Gintoki? I leave you for ten minutes and then I find you harassing a girl." A tall, dark-haired and handsome man had arrived in their vicinity and he apparently knew the other guy.

"I wasn't harassing her, Toushi. It was the other way around."

"You? Harassed?" Toushi had to laugh. He turned to the ladies. "Sorry for the trouble he caused. He'll stop bothering you now."

"No problem, we'll go now." Otae said, noticing the guy's good looks. "See you around."

"Yeah, see you around," Toushi murmured, certainly hoping he'd see the brown-haired lady again soon.


	2. Most Beautiful

**Chapter 2: Most Beautiful**

 _Author's note: I do not own anything from Gintama. Please review! This story is unbetaed. You may check out my tumblr / wordpress / livejournal / AO3 for copies of the chapters. There may be a delay in uploading though. Yes, chapter 2 is early. But the sequel to Mitsuketa chapter 1 is laaaaate. Please review so that I am happy._

Sacchan and Otae were strolling along the park, shopping bags in their hands, and with the harsh incident apparently forgotten.

"Well if it isn't the hot-tempered mouse from the store," a deep voice muttered to their right.

Both girls turned and immediately recognized the two men, Gintoki and Toushi.

Otae braced herself for another confrontation but she also tried to steer Sacchan away from the impending mess.

"Hey," Toushi greeted them. "Hope things have cooled off?"

"Yeah…" Otae responded shyly. He was such a gentleman and all put together, a contrast to his friend who had his arms crossed and was looking at everything except Sacchan.

Sacchan, glancing at Otae and Toushi, both who did not seem to have the intention of leaving soon, announced her departure. "I'm gonna call Bansai for a while, Otae. I'll be back."

"Don't take too long," Otae said. But she secretly looked forward to spending some time with the handsome stranger she just met. "I'm Tae Shimura, or Otae," she told him.

"Hijikata Toushiro," he said, nodding.

"Can I call you Toushi?" She teased.

He grimaced. "A stupid nickname by my friends," he told her as his eyes scanned her pretty face, appreciating her natural beauty and the long, silky brown hair. "But yeah, call me Toushi if you want."

Her smile was a reward.

"Huh. I wonder what Tsukuyo's doing here? I thought she visited her sister in Yoshiwara." Gintoki piped up, gazing at the distance. Tsukuyo is the beautiful and sexy love of Gintoki's life. No wonder he was excited to see her.

It was too far but Toushi saw a girl facing away from them, her hair in a bun as Tsukuyo always wore, and the sun illuminating her hair. She did look familiar and her breasts looked enormous from this angle, emphasized by her tight tube top. She was the right height and Toushi observed her heading behind a large tree which projected a large shadow on the area, keeping it cool and dark.

"I guess it looks like her…"

"What are you saying? It's definitely her." Gintoki laughed and started to walk to his girlfriend. "Those boobs are calling out to me."

Toushi shook his head and turned to Otae, "Excuse the man, he's a pervert and it's sickening."

Otae shrugged, "No worries."

"Where are you going, Gintoki?"

The silver-haired friend winked. "Surprising her with some loving." He turned up his pace towards his destination.

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Sacchan replaced her phone in her pocket just as she ended the call with Bansai. He moved their date to tonight and asked her to come spend the night at his place. Otae's words, booty call, rang in her mind but she shook them away. Of course they were going to have sex – they were a couple, and in love.

The heat made her slip off her top blouse, revealing a dark pink tube top underneath. Sacchan usually passed on wearing bras during hot weather. Bansai, of course, was pleased most of the time but he was also irritated by the attention she was receiving. She couldn't help if her breasts were large and eye-catching. Clipping her hair up into a bun, she glared at several men who paused to ogle her chest.

The sun shone bright as ever and its heat was starting to get painful. She walked behind a tree that cast a shadow, thankful for the coolness it offered.

Otae was obviously enjoying that stranger's company. She would give them a few more minutes.

She took off her glasses and pocketed them, leaning against the tree and closing her eyes. She was tired and she felt like her anger for the annoying and rude perm-haired guy had not gone away. She wanted to forget about him and never see his ugly face again.

"Fancy seeing you here, sexy," a deep voice whispered in her ear from behind. Sacchan gasped as his hands curved around her small waist, drawing her closer and kissing her neck.

Bansai! So he actually came to the park, fooling her that they were moving the date tonight. So much for a booty call.

His hands slipped upward, under her top, bypassing permission as he cupped her breasts. His groan was low and hungry.

She arched forward as he teased her nipples, vibrating his fingers on them. How eager he was right now. Sacchan had forgotten they were at a public area though well hidden. She moaned as he turned her to set her back against the tree. One leg was wrapped around him and she could feel his hardness pressed on her.

Then he kissed her, driving her mad as his hips pushed forward and simultaneously ground circles of pleasure. Sacchan followed suit, blinded by the fire in her body which almost molded with him. And she kissed him, pouring out all her frustration and need.

He grabbed her buttocks, pulling her closer, sliding his palms up and down making her feel the waves of her body crashing against a rock.

His lips moved to her neck and down to her bare breasts. She did not notice him yank down her tube top and all her attention was on his tongue, flipping over and over her nipples. Millions of shocks were sent all over her body and all she could do was cry out and grasp at his hair.

He was so different, so eager right now. This was the first time they had done such things publicly where they were in danger of being seen. Something had changed in him, not just physically or his scent, but his hunger.

Her hands ran through his hair and she paused, hesitating only for a moment at the odd thickness and apparent curls of his hair.

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Gintoki slyly approached Tsukuyo as she adjusted her clothes. She had pocketed something and was now leaning on the tree. He could see her breasts from this side and his desire had reached maximum because he saw that she had nothing else underneath that top.

Grabbing her by the waist and calling her sexy, he attacked her neck – her most sensitive part – and played with her delicious upper buns. They were as large and soft as they had ever been. He tweaked her nipples, satisfied that they were already aroused within seconds.

He pushed her back against the tree and buried himself into her, kissing her into wildness. He devoured and sucked her breasts, pleased by the way she thrashed and grabbed at his hair.

He had ambushed her before like this, and though she acted annoyed, she still appeared to enjoy it immensely. This was only the second time in public but she had finally let go and gave in to his advances. She smelled like new soap and bubbles in the bath. Her overresponsiveness gave him more energy to pleasure her more.

When she was gasping and shaking too much, he gave each nipple one more long and slow lick and then kissed a trail up back to her neck. Gazing at her beauty, back to her sexy lips-

"HOLY MOTHERFUCKING HELL!" He stepped away, horrified.

It was not Tsukuyo he had been with.

It was that horrible woman from the store.

Sacchan.

She blinked in a daze then slipped on her glasses and screamed as she replaced her clothes. She was as horrified as he was. "What the hell are you playing at, you monster?" She looked murderous and she stepped forward to slap him. Not once but several times. "How could you? You're disgusting!"

He grabbed her arm to stop her from hitting him but she used the other to continue. "Me? What were you doing?" He screamed. She wasn't the only victim here. He was too.

"Asshole! Why can't you leave me alone? I've had enough of you!" She shook his hands off her and then she stormed away from the park.

Otae and Toushi had just arrived to see Sacchan had left and was far away.

"We heard screaming. What have you done now, Gintoki?" Toushi had his arms crossed and look like he meant business.

"That was definitely her scream," Otae affirmed. "I think I have an idea of what happened."

"It wasn't Tsukuyo, was it?"

Gintoki was still speechless, clutching his reddened cheeks.

"Are you alright?" Otae asked him.

He shrugged. "Let's just go, Toushi."

"I'd better catch up to Sacchan, to check if she's okay."

"Yeah," Toshi looked thoughtful.

"Sorry for this messy day-" Otae started.

"Nonsense. It was our doing," Toushi volunteered. "His', actually," he nodded to Gintoki who was still staring off into space and massaging his red cheeks.

"Well, I have to go."

"Wait, Otae." He did look nervous.

"Yes, Toushi?"

"I was thinking, we can't just part like this." Toushi said. "There's too much conflict, I mean." He added. Maybe we could settle things… in a better way over dinner or something."

"Dinner?"

"Yeah, to banish hard feelings."

Otae smiled and nodded. "Yes, no hard feelings. So where do we have dinner?"

He told her.

"Can I bring other friends aside from Sacchan?"

"Sure."

"Well, see you then." Otae turned and hurried to her friend.

"No hard feelings? You are out of your mind!" Gintoki had regained his voice and apparently his anger. "There is no way I am making up with that annoying woman."

"What a lovely woman," Toushi murmured, ignoring Gintoki. He lit a cigarette.

"You won't stop smoking but I have to stop drinking?"

"Smoking doesn't interfere with my brain…" Toushi gave him a pointed look, "nor does it affect my sexual appetite and etiquette."

"Whatever. You're delusional if you think that I'm going to dinner with that crazy woman."

"You can have Sacchan. I'm more inclined towards her friend, the pretty brown-haired one, Tae." Hijikata puffed some more, deep in thought.

Gintoki tsked. "You don't even know her. She's probably the same as her weird friend."

"I swear I have no intention of stealing your beautiful Sacchan from you."

"Oi! Shut up Toushi! That's bullshit." Gintoki rubbed his painful cheek. "I have Tsukuyo. She is definitely the most beautiful."


	3. Awkwardness

**Chapter 3: Awkwardness**

 _Author's note: I do not own anything from Gintama. Please review! This story is unbetaed. You may check out my tumblr / wordpress / livejournal / AO3 for copies of the chapters. Am currently writing chapter 4 of this and yes, chapter 1 of the sequel to Mitsuketa is on its way! I am making major plot changes so there are small details that have to be modified too. Please review for my sanity!_

Otae closed the door of her home with a soft click despite her mixed irritation and exhaustion. She attempted to follow Sacchan but the lilac-haired girl had disappeared to nowhere. She was left to carry home whatever things they had bought from the store – and it wasn't easy.

She found Mutsu lounging on the couch, watching an Asian drama. The girl's eyes widened when she glanced at her. "Wow Otae, you look…"

"Haggard?"

"… Messy." Mutsu was gesturing to her own head as if it was exploding.

Otae gazed at a reflective surface and almost screamed at the state of her hair. She ran to the bathroom and slammed the door, emerging almost an hour later.

"You look so tired." Mutsu was grinning.

"Yes, Sacchan's gone and I was left to carry everything home, after I tried to find her."

"Well, Sacchan didn't look too well either when she arrived. She's locked herself in her room." Mutsu opened a bag, obviously looking for her baking materials.

Otae shot to her feet. "Sacchan's home? Well let me give her a piece of my mind-"

"Maybe now's not the right time."

"Why not?"

Mutsu tilted her head thoughtfully. "She's in the worst mood I've ever seen her in. I couldn't even ask her for my stuff from the store."

Otae sighed. "I can't blame her for that though."

"What happened?"

Otae told her.

"How horrible!" Mutsu gasped. "So she just let him get away with it?"

"I'm not sure but I'm pretty sure she slapped him lots of times because of the state of his face."

That made Mutsu smile.

"But that guy, Gintoki…"

"The one Sacchan made out with?"

"Yeah… he has a friend."

"And…?"

"He asked me, I mean us, out to dinner at their place."

Mutsu's eyes widened. "You're seeing him now?"

"No!" Otae yelled hastily. "It's an apology dinner… For Sacchan."

"Yeah, right."

"It's true! So we should be getting ready for tonight." Otae was already thinking of her hair.

"We bringing Kyuubei?"

"Bringing me where?" Kyuubei appeared from the kitchen, her hair still in a neat ponytail. She was eyeing them both with a frown.

Otae smiled at her and gestured for her to sit down. "We have a dinner invitation."

"Is it at an expensive restaurant?" Kyuubei frowned some more. She was already bored with all the fancy dining. She was very rich and secretly spoiled, as an only child of her father. He actually wanted a son but ended up with a daughter whom he opted not to bother and just let her do whatever she wanted. Her father assigned her an obsessive bodyguard – Toujou - whom she mysteriously banished years ago.

Kyuubei had longed for more female company and when she met Otae, Mutsu and Sacchan, she could not wait to leave her home and stay with them instead. Her father could barely do anything about it.

"No, it's at the home of two guys Sacchan and I met today," Otae explained.

"Oh? Are they handsome?" Kyuubei asked with another frown.

The other girls did not seem to notice. "You'll have to see them," Otae smiled at her.

"Otae's got her eye on one of them. While Sacchan's already made out with the other." Mutsu supplied more information.

"Really?" Kyuubei looked interested.

"Have they got more friends?" Mutsu asked slyly.

Otae shrugged. "We'll see."

"Sacchan's coming too?" Kyuubei asked. "She's been locked up in her room since she came home. Did you bring home all those bags yourself, Otae?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I'd better talk to her and persuade her to come with us." She walked to Sacchan's room trying the knob. "This dinner is actually for her."

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"Mmm…" Sacchan rocked herself on top of her boyfriend with her head tilted back. She had never felt so empowered. It must have been her anger… her frustration over the things that happened today.

She had called Bansai over her distress but did not tell him any details. She was pleased when he had come over immediately and she lunged at him within seconds of his arrival. Usually, he would initiate but right now she was just too overwhelmed.

Sacchan would never admit that she needed a severe resolution after her body was left hanging today. Plus, Bansai was obviously pleased.

He flipped her on her back just as she was reaching that high. She could see his eyes were closed and his forehead scrunched in intense concentration with beads of sweat on it. He started moving again, drawing her back into a feeling of detonation.

"Sacchan?" Otae knocked on the door. "Are you okay?"

Bansai went on like nothing happened but he smirked at her, daring her to give them away.

"Sacchan?"

She gasped, "I… I'm busy… Come back later, Tae."

"No you're not. Let's just forget about that horrible guy at the store, okay?" Otae was pleading and she never begged.

Bansai stopped.

Sacchan held her breath.

"What horrible guy?" He asked, getting up.

"Wait…"

"Just forget about what he did, okay?" Otae repeated.

Bansai opened the door, confronting Otae. "What did who do?"

Both Otae and Sacchan gasped. "Put some clothes on!" They screamed.

"You're naked," Bansai told Sacchan and she covered herself with the blanket.

"Stop bringing him up," Sacchan hissed at Otae.

"Stop bringing who up?" Bansai looked pissed.

"No one!" They both insisted. Sacchan cursed inwardly, it was the second time she was interrupted today and her frustration was nowhere resolved. Nevertheless, she got up and dressed. Bansai had to leave. She knew this mood of his and she had no intention of letting him know what happened at the store.

"You should go," she told him.

Bansai's eyes flashed but instead he said, "We're having dinner and aren't you sleeping over?"

"We aready have dinner plans." Otae snapped at him, hands on her hips.

"Sorry, I'll come over later." Sacchan kissed him, attempting to distract him, her arms around his neck. "Otae and I just have to talk."

"Who is this 'him'? What did he do?"

"Oh… well… just one of the store clerks who refused to help us," she lied. "I already gave him a piece of my mind. He was old anyway," she added dishonestly.

Bansai stared at her silently and started to get dressed. Before he left, he pushed her back against the wall and kissed her with promise, right in front of Tae who tried her best to act normal. She had never been with a man and seeing Bansai and Sacchan's physical display of affections was somehow uncomfortable for her. "I'll wait for you tonight," he said before he stepped out.

Sacchan sighed. "He CANNOT know about what happened, okay Otae?"

Tae nodded. "It wasn't that bad."

"Yeah it was the worst!"

"It was just a stupid mistake that will never happen again."

Sacchan shook her head. "Of course it will never happen again. It's just that… he's such a rude piece of shit, you know? The way he yelled at you at the store and then he just ambushes me like that and doing those things at a public place. If it were his girlfriend… he thinks he could just touch her like that anytime and anywhere…"

Otae patted her friend's shoulder. "It doesn't matter. You're not his girlfriend and you've slapped the shit out of him anyway."

That made Sacchan chuckle.

"And… if you think about it… It's kinda funny, right?"

"You wouldn't think that if you were in my place."

"Was it that bad?" Otae asked. She secretly wondered if she and Toushi had been in Sacchan and Gintoki's situation.

Sacchan looked away. "He's a lousy kisser."

"Oh really?" Tae couldn't hide her smile. "Is he?"

"Why'd you come knocking on my door, anyway?" Sacchan changed the subject. "You interrupted us, you know."

"Sorry about that," Tae blushed. "There's just something about dinner tonight."

"What about dinner?"

"You know Toushi… he was also at the store… The friend of…" She trailed off, not wanting to say Gintoki's name and upset her friend.

"Mm-hmm… what about that guy? Did he violate you in public too?" There was too much sarcasm in a few sentences.

Tae blushed some more. "No… He was actually apologizing and invited us to dinner."

There was a moment of silence.

"Why?"

"Because of what his friend did!"

"Well, enjoy the dinner." Sacchan turned and flopped on the bed.

"You're coming with me! And so is Mutsu… and Kyuubei…"

"Nope. You guys have fun." She covered her face with a pillow to shut out Otae's pleading.

"Please, you have to come!"

"No I don't."

"Yes you do!"

"I don't think so."

"Yes!" Tae insisted. "You're practically the reason why we were invited. It will be weird if I go without you."

"Look, Otae, I don't want to go. You can't make me."

Otae wanted to cry. "Why not?"

"Because…" Sacchan sat up and looked at her friend straight in the eye. "That insufferable jerk will be there too and I don't want to see him again. Not in this lifetime. Ever. Again."

"Please Sacchan, I'm begging you." Otae NEVER begged. "Do it for me, your best friend…"

"Sorry… I can't."

"Please." Otae really wanted to see Toushi again but Sacchan had to be there. "I'll owe you forever."

"No." And that was final.


	4. The Way to A Man's Stomach

_**Author's note:** I do not own anything from Gintama. Please review! This story is unbetaed. WOW, I never thought that some of you actually read this fic. It's something I wrote more for myself and this plot idea I've had for more than a decade, I think. Thank you reviewers. (mehr03, Lexi, 8579, anon, and Freya). I realized that I didn't include Takasugi/Matako in this fic. I just couldn't fit them in as main charas. Enjoy!_

 **Chapter 4: The Way to A Man's Stomach**

Kyuubei Yagyuu had her arms crossed outside the front door. "Is this it?" She asked a little too loudly.

"I'm sure," Tae nodded. "Toushi said this was the place."

"So are we going to knock?" Mutsu had her fist ready at the door.

"Wait!" Tae said, checking herself (again) in her pocket mirror.

"Maybe we shouldn't go through with this…" Kyuubei suggested, her eyebrows close together.

Mutsu frowned, "I don't want to knock anymore!"

"Who's going to do it then?" Tae bit her lip. They were taking too long outside already.

"Why don't you do it, Otae?" Kyuubei asked.

"I can't…"

"Well I'm not doing it either…"

"I can't do it too." Mutsu grumbled.

"Ugh! Enough of this, we are wasting time! If you all won't do it… then I will!" Sacchan slammed her fist on the door several times. "I ditched Bansai for this."

Yes, she actually went with them. There was no way she was going to stay and die of curiosity. And after all the pleading and blackmailing by her friends, they finally convinced her to come with them.

Tae smiled. "Thank you, Sacchan. Finally, you've said something!"

"Whatever."

The door remained unanswered causing Sacchan to huff and knock angrily again. The other girls were getting worried – that Sacchan would break down the door if no one opened it within the next minute.

Fortunately, a tall, muscled guy with dark brown hair and a goofy grin answered the door. He had a pleasant aura but he reminded Sacchan, oddly enough, of a gorilla.

"Good evening, beautiful ladies! I'm Kondou. Come in, come in." He led them inside as the girls exchanged looks. He kept on bowing and gesturing with his arms.

"Hi…" Mutsu led the conversation. "I'm Mutsu. This is Otae… and Sacchan over there with Kyuubei."

Kondou grinned at her then walked to Tae and shook her hand. "Otae… So Toushi's words ring true. I understand why he can't stop talking about you." He openly stared at her and smiled.

Tae blushed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you, Kondou."

"So…" Sacchan said, trying to diffuse the pause.

"Oh, sorry for being rude," Kondou shook her hand too. "So you're Sacchan. Gintoki's mentioned you several times. He's told us all about how he met you."

Sacchan scoffed. "Oh yeah? Met?" She couldn't believe she let herself get persuaded into attending this dinner. "I would definitely choose a different word."

Inside the house was a large couch with a television right in front of it. Things were a bit messier than their own place but the space was larger. Sacchan spotted the large dining table and lots of food and drinks were already prepared on top of it.

On the couch were two other guys lounging and watching anime. They both got up as soon as they spotted their guests.

"He-ey!" A curly brown-haired guy with shades greeted them. He shook all of their hands, both hands per girl, and said, "Lovely," to each one. "I'm Sakamoto. Call me Tatsuma." When he shook Mutsu's hands, he tipped down his sunglasses and winked at her.

The other friend had long straight black hair and impeccable posture. He also greeted each one of them and introduced himself as "Katsura".

"Zura for short," Tatsuma and Kondou offered.

"It's not Zura!" Zura hissed.

That made the girls – except Sacchan – laugh. They also introduced themselves.

"There sure are a lot of them," Mutsu whispered to Sacchan.

"Come on over and take a seat, ladies," Zura offered.

Kondou took the spot beside Tae and Kyuubei while Mutsu sat by Zura and Tatsuma. Sacchan was left standing awkwardly behind the sofa.

"So many girls…" Tatsuma chuckled.

"And guys." Kyuubei returned.

Zura laughed good naturedly, "Good one."

"Toushi will be here soon. He's just in the bathroom," Kondou informed them.

"It's been an hour," Zura piped up. "What is he doing?"

"Fixing himself up to look good for these lovely ladies, of course." Tatsuma laughed like a maniac. "Or probably smoking a whole pack again."

Tae coughed once. "Where is Gintoki? Does he live here too?"

Tatsuma laughed again. "That good for nothing… He's probably still out drinking."

"Isn't he out with Tsukuyo? They're probably…" Kondou gave them a knowing look.

"He said he was just going to get some fresh air before dinner," Zura said. "But don't worry, he'll be here soon."

"Yeah, he wouldn't pass on meeting some lovely ladies." That was Tatsuma.

"I'll bet." Sacchan muttered to herself, but she could feel her heart beating faster.

They had some fun talking and Sakamoto proved himself to be a very amusing storyteller. Kyuubei noticed that Kondou was paying special attention to Tae, asking her lots of questions and being extra attentive. Sacchan had warmed to them, especially that time when Sakamoto and Zura were arguing about nicknames again. It was too funny to ignore.

"Ahem, have I missed something?" Toushi had finally arrived.

He looked amazing. Tae had to hold her breath as she gazed at him. His hair was gelled up and spiky, falling over his deep, intense blue eyes. He smelled good too. It seemed that taking long in the bathroom did pay up. Then he made eye contact with her.

He smiled. "Hi Otae, glad you could come."

She smiled back.

"I'm here too, you know." Sacchan smirked at him.

"Hi Sacchan," he looked around, "Gintoki's supposed to be here soon."

"I'd rather he wasn't," she muttered. But she was getting curious where the perm-head was.

"This is Mutsu and this is Kyuubei," Tae introduced them to Toushi.

"Nice to meet you." Toushi smiled at them too but his eyes turned to Tae again. "Lovely," he murmured.

Tae grinned, embarrassed.

"But… your hair…"

"Is something wrong with it?" Tae wanted to scream and lock herself in the bathroom.

He narrowed his eyes. "Hmm… it's different."

"She just has it in a ponytail." Kyuubei snapped.

"That's it!" Toushi exclaimed.

Tae chose her words carefully. "Do you think it looks bad?"

"No, you look great, Otae."

"I think she looks beautiful," Kondou spoke out of the blue, making her cheeks warm. No one spoke afterwards.

"Uh, where is that Gintoki?" Toushi changed the subject. Sacchan felt that pang in her chest again.

"Yes, I wonder where Kintoki is," Zura murmured while browsing Facebook. "He hasn't started his drunk posts yet."

"Kintoki?" Sacchan wondered aloud. It sounded funny.

Toushi laughed. "That's what Zura calls him sometimes." It was hilarious, Sacchan thought.

"It's not Zura. It's Katsura!" He looked up from his phone, frowning.

Suddenly, the door opened and Gintoki sauntered inside. Sacchan held her breath as she stared at his feet and avoided looking at his face. She can still remember the incidents earlier.

"Oi, what's going on here?" He sounded really excited.

"Hello, Gintoki!" Tae waved at him from where she was seated.

"It's you!" He grinned at her. "Call me Gin. Gintoki's too… formal."

Kondou slapped him on the back of his neck. "We were just talking about you, Gintoki."

"Ain't that grand?" He laughed and walked up to Sacchan. She barely moved.

"Hi, Sacchan."

She cringed, expecting some harsh comments but he didn't say anything. The others were silent and she realized that they were waiting for her response. Naturally, everyone knew about what happened earlier. She took a deep breath and said hello without looking at him.

Mutsu tapped her on the arm and hissed, "Gin's over there."

Sacchan gave her a death glare.

"Er, how are you?" Gin asked her.

"Fine, I guess."

Toushi coughed loudly. "Hey everyone, let's go to the kitchen and start eating."

"Yes, let's." Tatsuma jumped up from his seat and led the way.

Zura also stood quickly and left the room begging to be spared from a dramatic Gin versus Sacchan scene.

"I'm famished too," Kyuubei volunteered.

"Let's go, let's go," Kondou chanted and waved at the others except Gin and Sacchan.

"I'll go," Tae said and Kondou's smile widened.

"Same here," Mutsu added while following Zura inside.

Within seconds, all of them were huddled in the kitchen but not everyone had started to eat. Zura and Tatsuma were leaning against the door, eavesdropping, and then Mutsu and Kyuubei followed.

Toushi rolled his eyes, "What on earth are you idiots doing?"

"SHHH!" Tatsuma held up his hand.

"You should be ashamed," Toshi muttered.

Tatsuma pressed his ear against the door and listened…

"So, aren't you hungry yet?" Gin gave a nervous laugh and his voice was twice as deep as before.

Sacchan shrugged, "Not really."

"Oh, you've eaten already? Or are you on some fad diet?"

Sacchan turned to him, annoyed. "Who are you to ask me such things?"

"Look, Sacchan, I'm just trying to be nice. What the hell is wrong with you?" Zura and Tatsuma gave each other significant looks. "What happened earlier was a mistake…"

"A mistake? You sure were nice this afternoon," her voice was obviously sarcastic.

"I'm sorry, okay? What more do you want?" Gin started to raise his own voice. "Honestly, some women are so hard to please." He flopped down on the sofa.

"You are unbelievable."

"Whatever. I just want to have a good time with the others but you're just being pissy about every single little thing."

Sacchan huffed. "This is crazy. I'm going to help the others with the food."

"Fine, best you get out of my hair." Gin bit back.

"Fine, rot in here."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Gin suddenly jumped on his feet and moved in front of her so that they were within inches of each other. He stood straight, to his full height, almost six feet tall, and tried to intimidate her. Sacchan, however, stared back at him, not frightened at all. He sighed and said, "I'm really sorry, okay?"

Sacchan trembled and found herself calming down. She looked into his eyes, red and dead, but she could not explain why her heart was beating so fast. Why was he suddenly being so nice? She didn't mind though. But his rough side was somehow more interesting. Sacchan had a weakness for dominating types. She remembered the park incident where he mistook her for his lover and pounced on her. Her body was on full alert again.

"Well, what else do you want me to say?" She snapped at him, searching for the harsh words and that fire in his eyes.

"You are one crazy bitch," he declared before stepping away and returning to the sofa. He switched on the television and tuned in to the weather channel where Christel Ketsuno was cheerfully predicting a storm.

Meanwhile, Sakamoto slightly opened the door and peeked inside.

"You'll get caught," Kondou warned.

"Nah… ahahahaha!"

"What's going on out there?" Toushi asked.

"Well, aren't you ashamed?" Tae laughed demurely at him. She was cooking something on the pan and it was already in flames.

Toushi coughed and discreetly poured water on the pan to dissipate the fire. "Just checking if that silver-haired idiot is okay. Sacchan can really pack a punch."

"GODDAMN IT YOU ALL SHUT UP. SHH!" Mutsu was giving them death glares.

Toushi and Otae shared a look, trying hard not to laugh.

Zura joined Tatsuma. "Hey natural idiot, what is happening already?" He looked genuinely interested.

"Zura…"

"It's not Zura, it's Katsura!"

"Hey, Zura… I didn't know that Kintoki was into fashion shows." Apparently, he had switched the channels and was watching Japan's Next Top Model intently.

777777777777

Dinner time was enjoyable, and everyone seemed to get along very well. That is… Except for Gin and Sacchan. She was mostly silent with her cheeks pink when she first took a seat beside him. He, however, acted like he found her repulsive and made a fuss of the seating arrangement.

"Hey Zura, let's switch places."

Sacchan frowned at him. "Why would you want to trade with him? I don't mind if you kicked my shin under the table."

"I did not even touch your feet, you hag."

Kyuubei nodded at Sacchan. "Sorry Sacchan, I was the one who accidentally hit you."

"I'm sure it's your way of getting my attention," Sacchan rested her cheek on her palm with her eyes glassy. "I don't really mind." She completely ignored Kyuubei's words.

"You are such a nuisance!" Gin's face was scrunched up in anger.

"Sacchan? I said it was me." Kyuubei repeated.

"Kyuubei, girl, you don't need to take the fall for this man."

"You're gonna take a fall soon if you don't stop your nonsense." Gin stood with his fist retracted.

"I think we should stop them." Tae said to Toushi as she looked worriedly from Sacchan to Gin.

Toushi hid his face in his hands. "But… how? I don't want to get caught in the middle of the fire."

"Do whatever you want, I'll take it." Sacchan screamed at him. "You couldn't hold back earlier at the park, if I recall."

"I was bored. And are you forgetting? I said it was a horrible mistake!"

"Don't lie to yourself. You loved it." Sacchan stuck her tongue out at him with a glint in her eye.

"You are the most delusional creature I have ever met." Gin spat the words at her while pointing a threatening finger at her face.

"Thank you, Gin-san."

"Don't call me that!"

"Sure, Gin-san."

"You're really such a pest!"

"Whatever you say, Gin-san."

"You-" Gin paused, at a loss for a comeback. He tried to find something to yell back at her but he couldn't think of anything. He focused his eyes instead on her detestable hair color.

"Cat got your tongue?" Tatsuma howled with laughter as he openly gestured at Gin's open mouth.

"I see, I've got you speechless." Sacchan smirked at him. She slid closer.

Gintoki edged away. "Shut up, Ms. Stalker Tendencies."

"Her name is Sacchan," Toushi supplied glumly.

"How dare you? I've had enough!" Sacchan walked to the door with her arms crossed.

"You think I'm enjoying this? I just wanted to apologize but now you're acting all weird and creepy." Gintoki threw his arms up, exasperated.

"I've accepted your apology!" Sacchan cried, her face redder than ever. "Happy?"

"Fine then!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Enough! Stop copying me, it's irritating!"

"I think you should stop copying me!"

"No, you!"

"You!"

"You!"

"You!"

"Okay, fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"How are we gonna live through this?" Toushi groaned, slamming his head on the table.

"Well, the chapter is ending, so I guess the suffering's over for now," Kyuubei murmured as she raised an eyebrow.


	5. Moshi Moshi

_**Author's note:**_ _I do not own anything from Gintama. Please review! This story is unbetaed. Well Merry Christmas to all. This fic is different from my usual stuff because sometimes I need a break from serious writing and worrying about complicated plots. Thank you reviewers. (ashika, mehr03, 8579, Freya, and Shilpa). Once again… Enjoy!_

 **Chapter 5: Moshi Moshi**

Everyone made it through the night, thankfully. Sacchan, while blushing, had knelt on the floor and apologized in a less than regretful tone, but Gintoki accepted it since he wanted her out of his hair. Much to Toushi and Tae's insistence, both of them had a truce for their friends' welfare, even though Gintoki rolled his eyes afterwards. Sacchan handed him a piece of paper and he saw numbers written on it.

"Like I'd give you a call," he muttered. Toushi filched the paper from him and pocketed it.

The girls waved goodbye and Kondou shut the door behind them.

"Ugh, what an annoying girl. She seems the clingy type, right?" Gintoki resumed his rants as soon as the ladies were out of earshot. He flopped down on the couch and scratched his inner ear.

Kondou mockingly covered his ears. "Oh no, not again. You're not doing this again, are you?"

"Face it, Gintoki, you were quite immature," Toushi reprimanded.

"Me? She's the weird one!"

"Let it go, Gin," Kondou advised.

"But she was the one acting so weird suddenly! Didn't you guys notice? Gave me the creeps." Gintoki scratched his head, unable to comprehend what happened.

"Maybe she realized that you were sooo handsome, Kintoki, you stud." Tatsuma waggled his eyebrows and did a crazy dance.

"She was giving you heart eyes," Zura murmured while rubbing his chin.

"Shut up, all of you! Why pick on me?" Gintoki roared. "Toshi over there had his heart laid out on the table. He was practically drooling over-"

"DON'T compare me to your state." Toushi pointed a finger at Gintoki's face.

"I'm tired," Kondou yawned. "Let's not talk about it anymore."

"I never ever ever ever in my whole existence would want to meet that crazy girl again," Gintoki declared.

Kondou chuckled. "You sure?" he asked teasingly.

"Whatever." Gintoki stomped to his room and slammed the door. Tatsuma and Katsura also retreated to their beds.

Kondou shut off the television. "Hey, uh, Toushi?"

"Yeah?"

"That girl, Kyuubei, she kept staring at you."

"Really?" Toushi didn't notice. He yawned.

"You interested in her?"

"Nah," he stretched his arms above his head, "Otae's really pretty though."

"Otae? You like her? Are you guys dating? What do you mean?"

"Hmm.. yes… and no…?"

"What do you mean, Toushi?"

"I like Otae, yes… but no, I'm not dating her… Yet."

"I see…" Kondou frowned.

"Why so many questions, Kondou?" Hijikata yawned again.

Kondou bit his lip then gave a short laugh. "Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry." But he hoped and prayed.

* * *

Tae was all smiles on the way home and even when they entered the house. She clapped her hands together and bounced on the couch. "Wasn't it such a great night?"

Mutsu nodded. "There are only three things that made it great."

"What?"

"Katsura, Katsura, and Katsura!" she exclaimed. That made Tae roll her eyes.

"Too bad we had to leave so soon…" That was Sacchan. "But it's good to be home."

"What do you mean, Sacchan?" Kyuubei wondered.

"That Gintoki… Gin… he acted like he hates me."

"Oh, you mean you guys were busy flirting?" Mutsu raised an eyebrow. That made the others laugh.

"We weren't!" Sacchan turned red and waved her palm.

"But admit it… You like him, don't you?"

"I… I… NO! I was just trying to let him put his guard down. I'm sure he was fooled." But her heart was suddenly beating so fast again. "He sure has a lot of mean words to say." Such dominance, she thought, it made her melt.

"I'm sure he's nice. You guys just started off on the wrong foot," Tae said.

"It doesn't matter. I'm having sick thoughts. I'm going to bed." Sacchan started to walk to her room. "By the way, I gave him my phone number, but I think Hijikata has it." She remembered him keeping the paper.

"YOU DID WHAT?" Tae screamed and jumped to her feet.

"Calm down, Otae," Kyuubei said.

"You mean they asked for our contact numbers? Or just yours?" Mutsu was leaning forward eagerly.

Sacchan shook her head. "I just handed mine over." She grinned.

Tae frowned. "So, he just took your number? He didn't ask for any other contacts?" Like me?

Sacchan shrugged. "I gave it to Gin but Toushi snatched it."

"Do you think he'll call you?"

"Let's see."

"Okay…" Tae was giving her the evil eye.

Sacchan placed her hands on her hips. "Hey Otae, it's not like I'm gonna steal your man away. He just took it when I gave it to… Gintoki."

"Why did you give your number to him?" Kyuubei frowned. "So you like Gintoki?"

"I was being POLITE, okay? Look, Otae, I'm not interested in Toushi!"

"Hmm…" Kyuubei shook her head. "What about Bansai? Remember? Your BF?"

"Oh my gosh I have to meet him!" She ran outside and shut the door. "See you girls later!"

Tae was quiet. She couldn't shake away her dejected thoughts… What if Toushi had a crush on Sacchan? What if he called her? Arrgh. She would go cry herself to sleep.

* * *

"How was dinner?" Bansai asked in between their kisses. Sacchan was sprawled on his bed later that night, with his weight on top of her.

"Good," she answered. She did not want to speak about dinner. Her stomach was full but her body was still hungry. She shivered when he bit her neck.

"And?" His lips trailed down to the side of her breast, then under it, then to the other side…

"And nothing." Sacchan sighed and rubbed his back. "Bansai, please…"

He silently sucked on her breasts for a while, which should have felt like heaven, but her mind was racing with forbidden thoughts. She could feel herself exiting the moment, detaching from it, as if watching herself with Bansai while she was floating at a distance.

When he drew back, Sacchan still found herself half-full. She shifted her weight, uncomfortable and perturbed.

"Are you tired?" he asked. "You're quite stiff right now. Was I too rough?"

"No…" she struggled with her answer. She was actually considering something else.

"Then… What's wrong?" He was frowning and his eyes were digging into her.

Sacchan took a deep breath. "I was thinking of trying new things… In bed…"

"Like?"

"I dunno… like roleplaying? Or you can handcuff me to the bed? Try a bit of slapping my ass?" She tried to make it sound as lowkey as possible. "Blindfold? Gagging?"

"So I wasn't too rough, I was too gentle?" He scoffed and wrinkled his forehead. "What's gotten into you?"

"I don't know… I just wondered… Don't you want to try it? It's exciting, right?"

"I wouldn't dare raise my hand to you, nor be violent with my woman." He curled his lip. "I'm not sure about those odd things that you suggested…"

"It's not like that…"

He sighed. "Look, if you're tired, just let me. Lie back and close your eyes."

And think of England… Sacchan finished in her head. She bit her lip as he spread her legs and started to eat her. Sure, it felt really good, as usual… but there was something missing. She still longed to indulge in being dominated… to submit… and to feel that rush from a bit of danger.

* * *

One week… yes, one week later, Toushi gathered his guts and decided to send Sacchan a text message… to ask for Tae's contact number. He tried stalking Tae's Facebook profile and Instagram but her accounts were locked. He thought her profile picture was cute though. He couldn't click "add friend" nor "follow" just yet.

Toushi closed his eyes as he clicked send.

Suddenly, his phone was ringing. It was Sacchan. He panicked.

"Answer it! Answer it!" he screamed at Katsura. "Uh, hello?" He ended up taking the call anyway.

Zura shook his head and continued to stare at the TV.

"Can you tone it down?" Toushi hissed.

Zura ignored him.

"Hello? Hello?" Sacchan sounded annoyed. "Who is this?"

"Hey there, Sacchan. As I've texted, it's me, Toushi… Toshiro Hijikata… We met a while back… At the grocery store… then had dinner with friends…?" He fumbled for more ways to introduce himself.

"Yeah, I was just kidding about not knowing you. You wanted to talk to Otae, right?" She was speaking very fast. "OOOOOOTAAAAEEEE!" she screamed.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT!"

"What's with all the screeching?" Toushi could hear another's girl's sleepy voice on the line.

"Mutsu, where's Otae? Toushi called up."

"Me? You were the one who called! I only texted!"

"Oooh, why did he call her?" The girls were giggling. Toushi felt so embarrassed and he wanted to end the call until-

"Hello? Toushi?" It was Tae. Tae sounded very excited.

"Yeah, uhm, is this Otae?" He asked softly.

"Yes." He could hear the smile in her voice. "It is Toushi!" she exclaimed in the background. Toushi's heart started to beat stronger and faster, he felt the sweat on his forehead. He almost couldn't breathe. Then he laughed to diffuse his tension.

"Well, what's up?"

"Nothing much…"

"So… You girls are hanging-out? Did I disturb you?" he asked.

"Oh, no! We all live together, just like you boys," Tae laughed. I own this place, it used to be a gym owned by my dad but he passed away so I had it renovated but I didn't want to live on my own… I asked my good friends to live with me."

"I see…" Toushi nodded but stopped himself when he realized that Tae couldn't see him. He glared at Zura who was chuckling at him.

Tae started to tease him. "Why did you call? Did you miss Sacchan so soon?"

"What? No!" he cried in surprise. "I mean, not her… I was uh… I mean…"

"Yes?" Tae laughed inwardly. He sounded so adorable.

"I mean," he coughed, "I sort of thought that I could get your contact number through Sacchan, because she gave us her phone number, and I was hoping to talk to you and maybe see you again." He held his breath in anticipation of her response.

"Wow, really Toushi?" Tae squealed after a long, long, long pause.

"Yeah. You wanna go out sometime?" Wow, that was quite bold, even for him. He hit himself on the head, earning another weird look from a silent Katsura.

"You can come over, if you want to."

"Okay… where is your place at? And can I get your number? This is still Sacchan's phone, right?" He couldn't help it, he grinned so much and shook his legs in the air with glee. Zura threw a pillow at him.

He wrote down her number and address then ended the call. Afterwards, he added her on Facebook and Instagram. He also checked Twitter - she had one too! So he also followed her. So much bold moves today, Toushi, he thought.

Suddenly, the door slammed open and Gintoki walked in like he owned the place. Well, he did actually, and he let his friends stay over. He was picking his nose as usual and Katsura had to evade his hand to prevent the silver-haired idiot from wiping it on his long, flowy hair. Toushi found himself grinning again. They looked like idiots. But his mood was definitely lighter now.

"You look scary with all that happiness, Hijikata," Gintoki observed. "That Lenny face…"

"It probably had something to do with his recent phone call," Katsura supplied helpfully.

"With who?" Gintoki slapped Toushi on the back, a little bit too hard.

"No one." Toushi just smiled. He needed a smoke so he took out his pack which Gintoki grabbed and held out of his reach. "Damn it, give that back, Gintoki!"

"Not until you tell me what's up with that Lenny face of yours." He still did not give up the cigarettes.

Hijikata considered. "Do you really want to know?" He smiled. "But take back the Lenny face thing."

"Lenny face!" Katsura stood up and started to dance while rapping, "Deg deg, deg deg, deg deg."

"Idiot!" Hijikata screamed.

Gintoki frowned, something was definitely up with Toushiro Hijikata...


	6. Anytime

_****Author's note:****_ _I do not own anything from Gintama. Please review! This story is unbetaed. Happy new year! Happy 2019! Still going strong Gintama. Thank you reviewers. (mehr03, 8579). Hope you like this next one!_

 **Chapter 6: Anytime**

Everyone was tired of it but Tae was busy arranging her hair again. She was so engrossed that she jumped when the bell rang, followed by a knock on the door. Once again, she smoothed the brown strands, checked herself twice in the mirror, closed her eyes, took a deep, deep breath, tugged at her new dress, and then rushed to the door. She made _that_ smile before opening the door and welcoming her guest.

"Hello!" she grinned at the two men. TWO?

Toushi was extremely red on the cheeks but he was also smiling at her. "Hi Otae."

"Heyyy," Gintoki greeted. His eyes were half-open and he was sucking on a lollipop.

"Well, come in, both of you. I've been waiting…" Otae led them to the couch enthusiastically but deep inside she was fuming. Why the hell did Hijikata-san bring Gintoki along? The romantic atmosphere has been ruined! She let out a heavy breath, disappointed.

"You look nice," Toushi said shyly as he sat down.

"Thank you, Toushi." Tae gave him a genuine smile and straightened her back. She wore a sleeveless pink dress that fell just above her ankles. It was matched with her light pink sandals and glossy rose lip balm.

Gintoki eyed her head to toe. "I agree with Toushi, except you should add more padding." Hijikata kicked his shin and glared.

Tae felt her temper rising. "What padding? Excuse me?" She readied her fists.

"Pudding! I meant pudding! Do you have some?"

"Let me check…" She dashed to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. "I only have soda and milk."

"Soda please!" Toushi said.

"Okay… and what about you… Gin… san?" Tae tried her best to be a good host.

"Milk. Is that strawberry flavored?"

"Oddly… yes it is."

"All right!" He started looking around the place. "Your house looks nice. It's so neat and smells good."

"That's sweet of you, Gin." Otae laid the drinks on the table.

He frowned. "Thanks Otae, but I don't think I can drink two… I could have an upset stomach."

"What?" Tae stared at him, confused.

"You're thoughtful, giving me two drinks, but the milk is enough though… OWWW!" Toushi had kicked his shin again. "What?" He glared at him.

"Brilliant, aren't you Gintoki? The other drink isn't for you! It's Otae's!" Toushi elbowed his friend in the gut.

Gintoki stood up and threatened him with a fist. "Oh, you wanna go now?"

The two men started to have a silly fight but within seconds, Tae realized that they were only playing around. She laughed while watching them. They were all having fun that none of them realized when someone else had arrived and entered the room.

"What in the world is going on, Otae? If I find out that you've brought another weirdo to our home, then I'm gonna murder you-" Sacchan started but gasped when she saw Gintoki. "G-G-Gin?"

The other three stopped and turned to her.

"W-w-what are you doing here?" Her entire face and body was blushing. She crossed her arms over her chest as she stared.

"Oh, hello Sacchan," Toushi greeted her, embarrassed.

"Sacchan, you're back!" Tae looked sheepish.

"What the hell is this crazy woman doing here?" Gintoki demanded, looking horrified.

"I live here," Sacchan said as she stepped closer, arms still crossed in front of her. She only looked at Gin, as if he was the lone person in the room.

"Stay back!"

"You're here…" she said in a daze, as if she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Hellooo, Sacchan… Otae and I are here too," Toushi muttered.

Sacchan's eyes snapped to him. "What's up with that Lenny face, Toshiro?"

That made Gintoki laugh. "See? I told you, you have that Lenny face going on."

Toushi gritted his teeth, annoyed with the two ganging-up on him. "I'm just happy, okay? Stop picking on my face!"

"Yeah, leave him alone. He can't help it if he looks weird," Tae joked.

"Wait… Are we forgetting the real question here? Why is Gin-san at my home?" Sacchan asked, hands on her hips.

"Your home?" Tae was frowning.

"I meant, at _our_ home. I didn't know he was coming over!" I could have worn a nicer outfit, she lamented.

"Hey stalker babe, what is it to you? Don't I have the right to visit my friend, Otae?" Gintoki raged.

"S-s-stalker babe?"

"Otae, does it mean that she lives here too?" Gintoki groaned. "I didn't know that. If I had known then I wouldn't have gone with Mr. Mayo here."

Tae peered at him apologetically. "Well, now you know."

"Gintoki, don't be stupid. We guys live together at your place… Then there's a possibility that Otae and Sacchan live together too, right?" Toushi smiled at Tae and she did so in return. They stared at each other for a moment.

"Yes, all of us girls live together too," Tae murmured, blushing.

Gintoki stood up and headed for the door. "Toushi, I'm outta here."

"What?"

"What?"

"WHAT?" Sacchan rushed to him.

"I said that I'm leaving, didn't you hear me?" he snarled at her.

"But I just arrived."

"Exactly. That's why I'm leaving."

She bit her lip. "Oh… Well… I…" Why was he so harsh and hateful? Oh but her heart was speeding up again. "No, Gin, don't bother… I'll leave." Sacchan opened the door and had one foot out when he dragged her back by the arm.

"Oh no you don't! I'm the one who's leaving!" he yelled at her.

"No, I am!" Sacchan inched forward.

"No, me!"

"I said, me!"

"I said it first!"

"I'm leaving and that's final!" she screeched.

"Look," he shook her, "you just stay put here in _your_ house, and I'm going!" He looked her straight in the eye and glared.

"Don't you dare try to copy me!" Sacchan felt a thrill as he rattled her.

"I'm not, you're the one doing it!" He edged forward dangerously, trying to intimidate her.

"No, you are!" She stood her ground despite the wobbling of her heart.

"You little-" Gintoki stopped and looked at her. He realized that they were as close as that time from the park when he accidentally swooped in and took her in his arms. If they weren't arguing, they could have been kissing right now. He shivered, feeling unsettled. He couldn't even resume his screams, because he felt so much hesitation, unsure of what to do next. In the background, he could hear Toushi and Tae laughing and commenting on some stupid TV commercial.

"I used to wear that when I was a kid."

"Oh, me too!"

"Okay Gin, if that's what you want," Sacchan said finally, "you can go and I'm staying." Her voice wavered and she looked away.

"No, I've decided that I want to stay."

"Wait a minute-"

"Hey you guys," Otae interrupted, "why don't you both stay? You can entertain each other for a while."

"But please do it with a lower volume," Toushi added.

Sacchan bit her lip, "I guess…"

"No way!" Gin stepped back from Sacchan and held his palms up to keep her away. "I'd rather watch television with you guys."

"I can give you a tour of our apartment," she squealed at him. "Wanna see my room?"

"God, no!" Gintoki cried, exasperated. He moved near the television and sat on the rug.

"Come on, Gin-san. Let Otae and Toushi have their alone time," Sacchan insisted, making the two blush.

"I said, don't call me that!" He kept himself glued to the floor. "I'd rather be dead than be alone with you."

Sacchan frowned and disappeared upstairs, looking dejected.

Gintoki felt the sweat form in his brow. "Well, that got rid of her. My god!"

Toushi and Tae were frowning at him, shaking their heads. "You should have kissed her," Tae said.

"Yeah, why didn't you?" Toushi asked curiously.

"You're both sick in the head!"

"You know," Tae started, "you really hurt her feelings there." Gintoki noticed that she and Toushi had moved closer together and their thighs were touching.

"Be nicer to women, Gintoki, especially those who show interest in you."

"What? Hey, Toushi, I'm not obligated to do that."

"No, but well, you were too much. Right, Otae?"

"Yes… Maybe you should go have that tour?"

Toushi was giving him the evil eye. "Uh-huh Gintoki, why don't you leave? Didn't you want to earlier?"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll give you guys your _alone_ time."

* * *

Gintoki tiptoed upstairs, checking left and right rooms for a girl with purple hair. He snickered, even her hair was ridiculous and riling him up. He found her at the end room, sitting on the bed with her back turned. She didn't look up when he stepped closer and Gintoki saw that she was busy using her cellphone. It gleamed in the darkness.

"Hey," he called tentatively.

She jumped and screamed at his sudden presence. Her phone fell on the floor with a crack. "No!" Sacchan cried in dismay.

Gintoki picked it up and checked it before handing it back to her. "It survived," he said, trying to be nice.

"You!" She stared at him wide-eyed.

Frustrated, he sighed really loud. "Please stop looking like that every time you see me."

"Like what?"

"Uh… Like you're high or something." He tried to keep it benign.

"Oh." She turned away and returned to using her phone. "I'm sorry. I wasn't aware."

There was silence.

Gintoki squinted in the darkness. "So, this is your room, huh?"

"Yes."

"It's… nice." There. Wasn't he nice? Can he go now?

"Thanks…"

Why is it so damn awkward? He felt like he transported back to that time when he had to apologize. It certainly led to something odd. There was no way he was making a repeat performance.

Sacchan ignored him and continued to tap on her gadget.

"Where are the other girls?" he asked, trying to diffuse the discomfort while he stood uncertainly at the doorway.

"Mutu's sleeping beauty in her room and Kyuubei's out on a date," she answered nonchalantly.

"Oh… She's dating someone?"

"No. Her grandfather. I guess they ate at some fancy restaurant." She shrugged.

"Grandfather?" Gintoki was getting curious.

"Yes. They're really rich." She shrugged again.

Gintoki, unable to contain himself, stepped into the room. "Sacchan, about earlier… Downstairs… Maybe I was too harsh." He took a deep breath. "You're just so unpredictable and stuff…"

She turned to him. "I thought you'd rather be dead than come up here?"

"That was an exaggeration!"

"Well, you probably regret it now."

Which one, he wondered? Saying it or coming up here? "I think I'm in less danger than I initially thought."

"Good for you then," she stood and tried to walk out the door but he blocked her way.

"Stop it. Stop making me feel like such a jerk."

"Let me out," she demanded as she pushed her way through. They struggled since Gintoki didn't allow her to just leave with her being angry like that. Well, he won the scuffle and so they found themselves on the floor with Gintoki over her.

"I-" he started to say but he was once again interrupted by that look in her eyes. Why was she always staring at him in that manner? He could hear her breaths going by so fast and then he noticed that he was the same. He saw that the strap of her dress had slipped down her shoulder and only then did he realize that she wasn't wearing anything underneath. Gintoki looked at her again to see that she was biting her lip. They were so close but then… "I'm taken," he gasped and stood off her. "I have a girlfriend."

"What did you think I was doing?" she asked while adjusting the strap of her dress. She watched the floor as she sat up. "I have a boyfriend."

"You're right, this was a mistake." Gintoki ran down the stairs and spotted Toushi and Tae in an embrace. "Not you too!"

They leaped away from each other to both ends of the couch. Tae laughed. "The programme's getting boring, let's listen to music instead."

Toushi nodded eagerly. "Sure." He tried to discreetly rearrange his hair and clothes. Gintoki rolled his eyes at him.

Tae stood up to turn on her Bluetooth speaker and connected it to her phone's Spotify app. She clicked 'shuffle' to play a song. The intro music to 'Can't Stop the Feeling!' started and she turned up the volume. She swayed to the music while singing along. Toushi was mesmerized.

"Nice upbeat tune," he commented.

"This song gives me so much energy," she said while smiling at him (again).

Gintoki agreed, it was certainly a bop. He did his own little dance which made the other two laugh.

"I got that sunshine in my pocket, got that good soul in my feet…" Someone started to sing along. The three of them turned around to see Sacchan descending the stairs while dancing. "I feel that hot BLOODY DAMN YOU GUYS ARE STILL HERE?" she screamed. "I thought you left," she said in a softer voice.

"No one was looking for you," Gin muttered.

"Well, I just heard a really nice song that made me wanna dance…" she stated feebly.

"Oh come on, you two! Don't start again!" Tae pleaded while dancing. She waved Sacchan over.

"Let Otae sing and dance… in peace." Toushi was nodding his head to the beat. He was soooo cute, Tae thought.

Sacchan took a large detour around the other side to avoid Gintoki and sat beside Toshiro. But once the chorus played, she stood and danced with Tae. "Love this part." There was no way she was going to let Gintoki ruin her mood.

"It just played on shuffle," Tae told her.

"Niiice."

Gintoki coughed. "So… Kyuubei's out with her grandfather?"

"Huh?" The two girls looked at him distractedly.

"Oh!" Tae explained, "They have that thing where they see each other every now and then. Kyuubei's an only child and she's going to inherit the family fortune and business. They can afford anything."

"Huh. Must be such a big responsibility for a girl like her."

"Her family thought so too. So they actually raised her like a boy… But Kyuubei… She's her own person. She does what she wants."

"If she's so rich, why does she live here with you guys?"

Sacchan pursed her lips. "She adores Otae."

"Hey!" Tae protested. "Kyuu-chan just has a big place in her heart for her friends. She's humble and doesn't flaunt her wealth."

"Remember when we attended her last birthday party?"

"They reserved an entire five-star hotel for the celebration," Tae recalled. "But the alcohol was too much… People were drinking in the pool."

Sacchan laughed. "I was one of them."

"What's wrong with drinking in the pool?" Toushi wondered. He had done that a few years back. And smoking too.

Gintoki knocked him on the head. "You could drown, moron."

"At least I know how to swim."

Sacchan laughed again. "What? You can't swim?" She looked at Gintoki weirdly.

"He can't. Gintoki needs floaters with him."

"Oh. My. Gosh." She shook her head, amused. "Are you serious?"

"I'm gonna kill you, Toushiro." Gintoki approached his friend. Toushi got up and ran while Gintoki chased him. They spent a few minutes playing tag in the living room. Sacchan and Tae watched them, wordlessly bewildered.

"Anyway," Sacchan spoke up, "the food was really good. Too bad it costs so much."

"Some people have all the luck," Toushi grumbled when he sat back down.

"Hey," Tae nudged him, "some things are more important than riches, right?"

He smiled at her. "Yeah, they are."

* * *

"I had a really great time," Toushi said to Tae at the door when they were leaving. "Thank you."

"Me too. You can come around anytime."

"Okay." Toushi still had that Lenny face aura.

"Well, then…"

"Toushi? Let's go!" Gintoki was yelling from the elevator.

"Well, uh…" Toushi cleared his throat.

"Yes?" Tae smiled in anticipation.

"Do you have plans tomorrow?" He was really getting the hang of being this forward.

Tae pretended to think and then she said, "No, I'm free tomorrow." Her grin was so cheeky.

"Do you want to go out with me?" Toushi wiped the sweat on his forehead.

"Okay.. What time are we going?" She was staring at him, making him blush like crazy.

"Is seven too early?" He was always an early riser. "Eight, I guess?"

Tae beamed at him. "That's good."

"Otae… I just want you to know that-" He scratched his ear, nervous.

"TOUSHI ARE YOU GUYS KISSING OR SOMETHING?" Gintoki's loud voice emanated from the outside. They both blushed at his words.

"I should go…" Toushi laughed. "Gintoki's going wild."

"I'll see you… Tomorrow," Tae bid farewell.

"Bye, Otae." He smiled and then ran to the elevator.

"Bye… Toushiro," she whispered to his back. Tae sighed dreamily, staring into space and closed the door. She floated back inside, bathed in a mixture of elation, excitement, glee, giddiness, warmth, insanity, infatuation, etcetera.

"Finally, the men are gone!" Sacchan exclaimed from the couch. Her voice made Tae snap back to the present.

"Yeah…" she said weakly.

"Hey… Otae…"

"What?"

"What is up with that Lenny face of yours?"

"Stop it! I've had enough of that Lenny face today!" She playfully punched Sacchan on the arm and they both laughed. She unlocked her phone and clicked 'shuffle' to play another song.


	7. Heels

_**Author's note:**_ _I do not own anything from Gintama. Please review! This story is unbetaed. Double chapter! Please enjoy! Next is *probably* Kanarazu double chapter too._

 **Chapter 7: Heels**

"I'm going on a date… Woo hoo! I'm going on a date…" Tae chanted as she danced around her bedroom. She imagined a candlelit dinner with romantic music in the background and then he would lean across and kiss-

"Kyuubei! You're back!" Mutsu called cheerfully.

"Ugh. It was the worst."

"Why?"

"Grandpa didn't show up! I waited for four hours and everyone in the restaurant was staring at me… Like they pitied me or something. I hate it!" Kyuubei grumbled and stomped up the stairs.

"Did you call him?" Mutsu asked with sympathy.

"Yes! He said that he forgot because he had to meet with someone." She shook her head. "If it's another of those rich tycoons that he's setting me up with…"

"He must be really busy."

"What's new?" She rolled her eyes and then ran upstairs to Tae's room. She banged on the door. "Tae-chan? Are you there? I need to borrow something."

"Come iiiin~..." Tae sang, still giddy from her last encounter with Toushi. He texted her again that morning with sweet words. Kyuubei rushed inside the room, "Tae-chan, I need to borrow some slacks… that gray one you bought but never really used…" She rummaged through Tae's room, making quite a mess.

"Wow, you haven't complained about the mess I'm making-" Kyuubei turned to check on Tae. "Okay… Why are you making such a Lenny face?" She frowned and crossed her arms while tapping her foot on the floor.

"We're going out…" Tae had the widest smile ever.

"Who?" Kyuubei let herself fall on Tae's bed with a bounce. She was getting curious about Tae's odd behavior.

"Toushiro Hijikata…" She sighed dreamily. Kyuubei was suddenly on full alert.

"He… He called?"

"Yes, he was here earlier… When you were out. He asked to see me again…"

"Wow… He sure moves fast," Kyuubei marveled, "since you've only met him, what? Three or four times? He's asked you out again? He might propose soon," she joked.

"Oh, I wouldn't mind at all…"

"Don't you," Kyuubei hesitated, "don't you think you guys are moving too fast?" She looked worried. "Remember your last relationship? Obi Hajime? That didn't end well." She snapped her fingers. "He was gone in an instant and you were a mess."

Tae shook her head. "Toushi's different… I can feel it… There's something about him."

Kyuubei shook her head. "Whatever you say, Tae-chan…" She ruffled her hair before leaving, forgetting about the pants she wanted to borrow. Tae, however, once again, did not mind the mess of her hair. She was too busy thinking of Toushi and his cute smile.

* * *

The next day, Tae checked herself in the mirror for the nth time, modelling back and forth on her five inch heels. They were new and she spent some time practising to get used to them. "I am not going to trip in front of him!" she swore to herself. She was still losing a bit of balance but looking at her reflection, she was practically all set. Her hair was straightened with an iron, her clothes were doing wonders for her small frame - a haltered purple one, and her make-up was on point. She simply had to refine her walking in these heels. She couldn't spend the whole date worrying about her feet. She needed to be able to concentrate on Toushiro!

"OOOTAAAEEE!" Sacchan called from outside her door.

She panicked. "HE'S HERE?"

"Not yet… I'm just checking on you."

"Thanks," she smiled at Sacchan with appreciation.

"WOW!"

"We-ell?~" Tae turned slowly to show her entire look. She tried not to appear anxious about her heels.

"You look amazing! But… Are you sure that you can walk on those things?" Sacchan frowned at her shoes.

"Yes, I must."

"Okay… But if you fall… Fall into his arms." They both laughed.

Going down the stairs was a struggle but they both made it safely.

"Phew! That was hard." Tae fanned herself.

Sacchan patted her on the back. "Well, so far, you've managed."

"I just need a bit more practice… Give me a mo-" The bell rang. "OH NO HE'S HERE!" She started to panic again.

"Relax, it's not like it's someone important!"

"He is important!" Tae gasped. "OH NO, I FEEL FAINT!"

"Otae… I'm going to open the door now," Sacchan warned.

"WAIT!" she hissed but then changed her mind. "Okay, go ahead, I can do this." She braced herself for the encounter.

"Hello again, Toushiro," Sacchan greeted him once she opened the door.

Meanwhile, Tae herself was drowning in anxiety behind her.

"Sacchan. Hi. Is Otae there?" he asked casually.

"Yes. Come in."

"Thank you," he grinned and stepped inside. "Hello, Otae," he greeted his date when he spotted her standing near the television. Her back was to him but she immediately faced him when he spoke. Toushi's jaw fell to the floor when she turned around. He was speechless.

"Hello Toushi," she smiled nervously at him. Her hands were shaking and she could feel the sweat forming in her palms.

"Toushi? Are you alright?" Sacchan peered at him.

He blinked, trying to focus. "Yes… Uh… Yes… I am… I just…" he struggled for something to say.

"What's wrong, Toushi?" Tae asked as she approached him. She could feel her own heart thumping through her chest.

"I just… You look wonderful…" He finally got out.

"Thank you. Same with you." Tae was right, Toushi looked suave in that dark polo of his.

"Let's go, then?" Toushi grinned.

"Okay." Tae tried her best to be as calm as possible but she was super nervous. As she walked out with Toushi, she turned to Sacchan and mouthed, "wish me luck please!"

Sacchan winked at her and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Something's different, I can't really tell… It seems like you're taller?" Toushi asked huskily.

Sacchan tried desperately not to roll on the floor laughing.

* * *

"Let's eat," said a woman.

Katsura looked up from his Nintendo Switch game and smiled. Ikumatsu prepared his favorite… Curry rice and a side of ramen with more curry. In front of her was her own spicy bowl of tsukemen broth and noodles on a plate.

They ate in silence, well, except for the occasional slurping of the noodles, mostly by Katsura.

"What happened during the dinner?" she asked.

"Oh…" he paused, thinking. He didn't really remember much except for the fights between Gintoki and the purple-haired lady, and Toushiro being such a deg deg. "It was fun."

"Sorry I couldn't come." She gestured to the restaurant. "You know I practically live here."

He laughed. "It's fine. You would have been bored there."

"So the girls were nice? Anyone stand out in particular?"

That made him frown. He did not like talking about other girls with his girlfriend. Ikumatsu, she was practically his wife. They had been together for eight years and counting. "Not really." He can't even remember their names.

Ikumatsu giggled. "That is so you."

"Well, the other guys had fun for sure. I think Toushiro has his eye on one of them. She's the traditional pretty type."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And Gintoki kept arguing with that girl with the glasses. Several times, I wondered if they were just flirting." Katsura shook his head, confused.

"Gintoki? Doesn't he have a girlfriend? He's still with Tsukuyo, isn't he?"

"You're right." Katsura shrugged. "Well, maybe they were just really fighting." He suddenly had a thought. "Hey, dear, let's watch that horror movie tomorrow. After you close up the shop."

"Okay," she agreed immediately. "I'm paying this time."

He nodded. "It's so hard to keep track. Oh well, like it matters." They both laughed.

"How is Sakamoto-san? He hasn't come around with you."

"Oh that bum, he's been too engrossed with computer shops and networking nowadays. All I hear from him are MMORPGs. League of Legends this… World of Warcraft that… Guild Wars there… He especially loves Aion."

She raised her eyebrows. "Didn't you use to play those games together?"

"Yeah… Well… Since you gave me the Switch, I realized that it's better." He laughed and scratched the back of his head. "I mean, Zelda… and hello, Super Mario Odyssey."

"Which reminds me, I'm getting you the Pikachu and Mario Kart too."

"You spoil me too much." He held her hand.

"But I like seeing you happy." She held his gaze. "How about the PS4 at your home? You guys still have it?"

"Ah! Gintoki and Kondou have been using it. They're always fighting over that thing. I don't want to get caught in the crossfire."

She laughed, "Well… The new Kingdom Hearts is out soon. How will you all deal with that?"

Katsura groaned. "Damn it." He sent Gintoki a text message. I need that PS4 back as soon as possible...

* * *

MOO!

Gintoki ignored his message alert tone. He was busy right now.

"Why are you using that sound again? It's horrid." Tsukuyo scrunched up her nose.

MOO! Another message.

"Mute it or something… ahh!" She clenched her teeth when Gintoki's tongue swiped along just the right spot.

He chuckled. "Don't worry, all the noise you're making is drowning out that cow."

"Why does it have to be a cow?"

"I dunno… it's just… funny." He winked and slipped his fingers inside her. "Isn't it?" Then he kissed her. However, she stopped him after a few seconds. "What? Okay I'll change it after we're done here."

"No, Gintoki… I'm not in the mood right now."

"Oh…" He pulled back and sat, trying to understand. "Okay. What's wrong?" It can't be her job again… Or her friend Hinowa… Or Seita, that punk.

"I'm just stressed over that new modelling gig."

"The underwear one? Why?"

"They're really strict. I can't have you giving me hickeys and bruises all over. Just for a few months…"

"Wait," he was confused, "are you saying that we can't have sex for MONTHS?"

"No… I'm saying that you have to be as gentle and careful as possi-"

MOO!

"Who the hell is that?" she snapped.

Gintoki finally opened his cellphone to check. (But he didn't change the alert tone.) "It's just Zura, demanding his PS4 back."

"Well, that's an emergency."

He laughed. "To Zura, it probably is."

She didn't answer.

"Tsukuyo, you're not thinking of breaking up with me, are you?" Please, he pleaded, don't do this.

"Of course not." She slid forward and straddled him. "I like being with you, Gintoki."

"Don't leave me," he whispered.

"I won't," she said. "Where were you yesterday? Tatsuma said you were out."

"You came over? When?"

"In the afternoon… I was going to tell you about the job offer."

"I wish you sent me a text or something." MOO!

"It'd only be feeding that cow."

"Hey!"

MOO!


	8. Catch Me

_**Author's note:**_ _I do not own anything from Gintama. Please review! This story is unbetaed. It's become easier to write this fic… Compared to the others._

 **Chapter 8: Catch Me**

"Thanks for brunch," Tae whispered in Toushiro's ear. They were in his car, stuck in a traffic jam. He first brought her to a fancy restaurant, and then afterwards he had taken her bowling, which was loads of fun. They went for snacks after. It was a day that Tae would remember forever. Everything seemed to be perfect, she was with a handsome man, so what else could she yearn for?

"It was nothing," Toushi said, trying to be as humble as he could.

"Modesty is an attractive trait," Tae tried giving a hint.

He looked away from the front and faced her. "It is?"

"Uh huh." She nodded. "Arrogant men who try to impress women are a turn-off." She grinned at him and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Did you have a good time?" Toushi was starting to become anxious.

"Yes, I did." She widened her smile, trying to be encouraging. Tae bit her lip before saying, "I was really happy today," she slid closer and laughed nervously, "I mean, it's you… I haven't met a man like you before." She took a deep breath and let it out before looking into his eyes.

"I, uh, er, well… I…" Toushi fumbled for his words, "I'm glad."

"Did you have a good time too?" Her voice was softer this time.

"Well, I, uh, er, YES, I had a great time." He swallowed hard.

"Toushiro, I-" she paused. He did not say a word. Tae wanted to scream and pull at her hair. She felt so awkward and nervous but she needed to keep the conversation running. It wasn't their first meeting, and she hung out with him before, but why was she a bundle of nerves? Although… This might be the first time that they were alone together for half a day, without their friends nearby. It made quite a difference. She used to be an entertainer and she never had a problem speaking with men. She can even crack jokes with them. But now… she was alone… with someone she really liked… and she suddenly turned into a shy puppy. Where was Sacchan and her crazy words when she needed her?

During her last relationship with Obi-wan, she found herself bringing up anything under the sun and somehow, things went smoothly without her worrying about what he thought. Why were things so difficult right now? Tae frowned, unable to decipher her situation. Was it that with Obi-wan, everything was simple - kissing, laughing, and talking about the future - and it had become too mundane… Boring?

With Toushi, she felt rejuvenated… Challenged… And somehow, turned on. Still, it was too early to judge. They were on their first official date and were not officially going out with each other yet, so she might be presumptuous. This may only be the beginning.

The silence pressed on and Tae was beginning to lose her mind. She would strive with all her best to make it work. Finally, she plucked up the guts to speak up. "Toushi, why are you so quiet?"

That made him laugh out loud. "Otae… I just… I've never met a woman who's so forward, like you are." He recalled his ex-girlfriend… A long time ago… Mitsuba Okita, a sweet demure woman. Shaking his head, he tried to banish that memory.

"I'm just wondering…" Tae felt the blush emanating from her cheeks. She smoothed the front of her dress to calm herself.

He shrugged. "I'm just a very serious guy, I think."

"Maybe you're adjusting. It's our first real date after all."

Toushi stopped at the red light and turned to her. "Are you saying that there will be more?" His voice was soft… but husky.

"I hope so," Tae said slowly.

"Okay… Now, I'm asking you out… For a second date," Toushi grinned.

"So soon?" she teased.

"Well, if you haven't noticed… I'm quite the fast mover." Well, now with you, he thought. He shifted, feeling more relaxed.

Tae smiled and lay her head on his shoulder. "Okay, I accept." But Toushi stiffened, making her jerk away. "I'm sorry Toushi, I didn't mean to-"

"NO! I was just startled," he looked at her with wide, apologetic eyes, making her melt. She bit her lip and tentatively leaned against him and this time, he slid closer and let her. Toushi slowly turned his head to look at her. He gulped. She was so close and he could feel each and every one of her breaths. Tae was suddenly looking deep into his eyes and they were leaning towards each other, then-

BEEP! BEEP! "MOVE IT, BASTARD!" An irate driver from behind was screaming at them. He kept pressing the horn of his carn. Toushi and Tae jumped away from each other and coughed while sitting up.

Toushiro took one look at the green light and sped away with his heart in his throat.

* * *

Katsura was staring at Toushi when he flopped down on the couch at their home. "What?"

"How was it? You were on a date with that pretty girl, weren't you?" Katsura's smile was a mix of mischief and boredom.

"Well, what do you think?"

Tatsuma threw a pillow on him and it landed smack on his face. "That Lenny face of yours sure is a clue." Toushi hurled the pillow back at him.

"Toushi? You're back?" Kondou shouted from his room.

"It's not Toushi, it's Lenny face," Katsura shouted back, earning a pillow on his face. Courtesy of Toushi, of course. Kondou ran out and joined them, wearing only his briefs.

Toushi frowned. "Where's Gintoki?" He surveyed their messy home.

"He has locked himself inside his room and refuses to come out or speak to anybody," Zura informed him.

"Don't you mean to say, _our_ room? I need to get back to my MMORPGs, the dudes are waiting," Tatsuma grumbled. "I can't even enter my own room!"

"He's still alive, isn't he?" Toushi wondered. "How long has he been there?"

Zura checked his phone. "Five hours, sixteen minutes and seven seconds. No, eight seconds. No, nine… Ten… Ele-"

"I get it! I get it!" Toushi crossed his arms. "What's wrong with him? Was Sacchan here by any chance?" He was beginning to be curious.

"Nuh-uh," Tatsuma shook his head. "It's the other lady, his girlfriend… Tsukuyo. They had a fight on the phone."

"Really? What happened?" Toushi narrowed his eyes. "Were you eavesdropping again?"

"No surprise there if they were," Kondou laughed. Zura and Tatsuma looked significantly at each other. "So, you were really spying."

"You guys never learn. You should be ashamed." Toushi shook his head and moved to grab his smoking pack.

Kondou stopped him. "Before you go out for a smoke… Tell us how your date went!"

"It was great," Toushi answered shortly and proceeded to take his cigarette break.

Katsura grabbed the pack and hid it in his own pocket. "Enough of these smelly things." He grinned mischievously.

"Hey! Give that back! Why are you guys always interrupting my break?"

"Did Otae-san have fun? Was she happy?" Kondou asked. All the other boys looked at him weirdly.

Zura threw another pillow at Kondou's face. "Why so interested? Do you have a crush on her too?"

"Stop throwing pillows at people's faces!" Toushi screamed. "It's annoying!"

"At least he ain't tossing bombs, ahahaha!" Tatsuma roared with laughter.

"Wait… Toushi, you haven't answered me yet!" Kondou protested.

Toushi sighed and a dreamy smile lit up his face. "Yeah… She said she was happy." He paused and looked at his housemates. They were gazing at him eagerly, waiting for more details. "It was great… and fun… and I dunno, I haven't felt this way before with a girl. Not even with-" _Mitsuba_. Toushi stopped.

Kondou stared at him with a knowing look. "Are you in love with her?" He looked anxious.

"I guess so." Toushi nodded. "Yeah, I think I love her."

Tatsuma punched the air and Zura did a little dance (yo from the hood), but Kondou only bit his lip and picked at his cuticles. _I guess it's too late for me_ , he thought.

"Did you kiss her yet?" Tatsuma winked at Toushi.

"Uh… Look, I don't wanna talk about it." Toushi pressed his lips together.

"Why so tight-lipped?" Katsura asked.

"I don't kiss and tell."

"Are you going to ask her out for another date?" Kondou pressed.

"ENOUGH INTERROGATION YOU GUYS!" But Toushi laughed. "Stop dissecting my private business." He was in a teasing mood.

"Look who's Mr. Secretive today…" Katsura crossed his arms.

"Did she tell you her feelings? Does she like you too?" Kondou wouldn't stop asking.

"I'm not saying a word and that's final!" Toushi made an X with his forearms. "Anyway, I'm tired, so I'm gonna take a nap." He yawned and stretched then walked to his room (which he shared with Zura).

"Prepare to be tickled to death in your sleep if you don't tell us more!" Katsura threatened him.

"Sure… Whatever." Toushi simply laughed again and shut the door.

Inside, he leaned against the door and sighed. _I'm in love… I really think I am!_ "I'm in love," he spoke it out loud, just to relish in that truth. Its reality spread throughout his entire body and gave him life. He smiled again, his cigarettes forgotten. _I'm in love!_ He wanted to shout it out to the world but of course, he did not want to look like an idiot. His friends would tease him until… forever, even in the next life.

He could not quantify whatever attracted him to Tae. Maybe it was her beautiful smile or her lovely hair when he first saw her… But those were superficial things. He had thought of her more than that since and it was not only her beauty which held his interest. There was something about her… She was kind, silly, approachable and inviting… Toushi sighed. He knew that she was the woman for him. But what if she didn't see him as the one for her? He noticed that Kondou seemed interested in her too. Could they be seeing each other?

Toushi shook his head violently, punishing the thought away. _No, Tae's not that type of a woman._ But just in case… He had to move fast and confess his true feelings to her as soon as possible.

"How the hell do I do that?" he spoke to the room.

A vision of Kyuubei crossed his mind. Would she mind if Tae and I get together? He wondered about it for a bit. She seemed like…

Toushi shook his head again. Everything was complicated and even more so when he thought about it longer. He wanted it to be simple, just him and Tae Shimura. He lay on his bed and decided not to dwell on things anymore. Within minutes, he was fast asleep.

* * *

"What are you doing, Sacchan?" Mutsu strained her eyes to catch whatever was on her friend's cell phone screen.

"Nothing!" But before Sacchan could turn away, Mutsu had seen her Facebook app… On Gintoki Sakata's profile.

"Why in the world are you stalking him? I knew it. You like him. No matter how much you deny it!" She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow.

"I do not!"

"Then explain," Mutsu gestured at the screen, refusing to believe Sacchan's excuses. "You don't have to deny it. I'm your friend, you can tell me."

"I was just curious," Sacchan mumbled feebly. "Like how that type of a loser can be in a relationship or something."

"You aren't simply stalking him. You're jealous too."

"You're missing the point, Munemitsu." Sacchan shook her head and flopped down on the couch. "Since you're so frustrating, I'm gonna order something through Honestbee."

"Pizza… Cake… Sushi… Milk tea. YES!" Mutsu counted with her fingers eagerly. "I am famished."

"I'm not paying for your share. Isn't your birthday coming up? This should be your treat."

"Let's split the bill then. And then you can tell me all about this Gintoki business while we're filling up on food."

"There is no Gintoki business or whatever." Sacchan murmured distractedly as she punched their order and confirmed the payment with her credit card.

Mutsu raised her eyebrow again. "Ayame Sarutobi, I've known you for almost a decade and I know when there is man business going on. I'm the last person you can ever fool."

"You're wrong this time."

"What about Kawakami?" Mutsu always referred to him as Kawakami. It made her feel bad-ass. "You're still sleeping with him, aren't you?"

Sacchan sighed heavily. "Don't make it sound so sleazy. I really like him, if you must know."

"Like is different from love."

"You would know?" Sacchan laughed and Mutsu blushed. "Falling in love isn't simply diving into the sea or pressing the power button on your computer."

This time, Mutsu chuckled. "Wow… That was… Poetic."

"Shut up, Munemitsu." They bantered for a while… Until the bell rang. It was their order. Sacchan waved away Mutsu's cash. "Save your treat for that birthday of yours. I'm buying this time because I need you to listen to me."

That perked up her brown-haired friend who already started digging into both the pizza and cake but was awaiting her confession with overflowing eagerness. "Go on, you can trust me."

"I have absolutely no interest in Gin-san… I just thought that his girlfriend's name sounded familiar. Like I went to college with her or something."

"Really?"

Sacchan nodded and took a sip of her drink, draining it to half. "Turns out, she is that girl."

"And?" Mutsu prompted.

"Well, Tsukuyo was that girl… tall, beautiful, hot body, athletic, smart… at the top of our class… had more than a handful of guys after her… I didn't know her much but I remember her."

Mutsu whistled. "Well, small world then. So that's why you were stalking his profile? The only reason is curiosity?"

Sacchan bit her lip and made a slurping sound as she finished the last of her milk tea. "Yes. The only reason."

"Uh, Sacchan, you're practically inhaling even the cup."

"Oops." She laughed and tossed it into the garbage can. "Don't ever question my feelings for that silver-haired loser again."

"This was boring. And I thought I would discover something juicy for once." Mutsu sighed dejectedly and proceeded to gobble up the sushi.


End file.
